Friday, September 6, 2013

A Breadfruit Tree for the North Garden

We have a new little breadfruit tree growing in one of the
behind the scenes greenhouses. But it is not just any breadfruit tree—it has a
great story!

In December 2012, a Collections Gardener read an article from
the NationalTropicalBotanical Garden in Hawaii. The article, titled “Samoa benefits
from HawaiiGarden”, explained that the Samoan government
received a check for $5,203 from the first year of breadfruit tree sales. But
we need to back up a bit to see where our little breadfruit tree fits in to
this story.

In the 1980’s, Dr. Diane Ragone, Director of the Breadfruit
Institute at the NationalTropicalBotanical
Garden, spent several years collecting breadfruit
varieties in the Pacific’s tropical areas. A collection of breadfruit trees was
established in Maui forming the Breadfruit Institute.
Dr. Susan Murch, from the University
of British Columbia,
Okanagan, used tissue cultures to micro propagate several of the breadfruit
varieties. Currently two varieties originating in Samoa
are being mass produced for the commercial market.

The NationalTropicalBotanic
Garden has an understanding with the Samoan
government that allows half of the fee collected when the trees are sold to be
returned to the Samoan government, hence the check that was presented at the
end of 2012.

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory currently has a rather
large breadfruit tree in the NorthGarden (our economic
plant room). This tree was planted in the room almost 20 years ago and is getting
to be too tall for the 29’ room. The Collection Gardeners wanted to display breadfruit
since it has an important role in the global food security story, so the hunt
to find a smaller variety that could be used as a replacement for the large
tree began.

That gardener found one of the micro propagated Samoan
varieties and had it shipped to the Conservatory. A volunteer gardener aide who
assists in the NorthGarden found out about
the plant search and volunteered to purchase the new, smaller breadfruit for
the Conservatory (Thanks Bob!).

Our new tree arrived a few days ago. It is a variety called
Ma’afala and is about three feet tall. It was shipped from a nursery in Miami and will spend some time in the greenhouse before
eventually making its way out to the NorthGarden.

We are thrilled to be
a part of this wonderful story of conservation of the breadfruit tree!